Process of distilling carbonaceous material



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. B. BRAZBLLE. PROCESS 0F DISTILLING'GARBGNAGEOUS MATERIAL.

No. 472,614. Patented Ap?.I l2, 1892.

Wsses:

v(N0 Model.) 2 simens-sheet 2.

. B. BRAZELLE. BROGESS 0F DISTILLING' ARBONAGBOUS MATERIAL.

' No. 472,614. Patented Apr., 12, 1892.

Q0 O36 D Fl G- 2- A l/izesses jizz/672 Z0?? f5 i be conducted in 'struction and .comparatively-small compass UNIT-ED STATES" .PATENT OFFicE.

l BENJAMIN BRAZELLE, OF ST.' LOUIS.,v MISSOURI.

I PROCESS DISTI'LLING CIRBONACEOUSv MATERIAL;-

SPECIFICATION feming pertef Lettere Patent No. 472,614, dated April 12, 1892.

Application tiled March 20, 1891.

.fTo aZZ `whom', it may concern:

. My invention relates to `the product-ionof 4."tar, ammn1a,gas,and other volatile matters IO Beit known that I, BENJAMIN BRAZELLE,

'a specification.

by distillation from car-bonaceousmaterial; and itsobJect is to economize .andy perfect vsuch process by admitting of the employment of low-priced material for distillation andlowgradefuel, andalso to expedite the manufacof the earbonaceous material ture and enable the process of distillation to ,an apparatus of durable conand cost. Y

f To this end invention, generally stated,-

cbnsists in a novelmethod of effecting and combining the uoperationsl of heating bodies .ofv carbonaceou's and of refractory material, evolving-fand distilling the volatile constituents, and carbonizing the solidconstituents by the passage through the same 'of heated non-oxidizing g terial by forcing non-oxidizing gases through l the same, and transferring the heat to the carbonaceons material.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. Y

- The subordinatev details of my improved A process may be preliminarily stated as enlbodying the heating of a furnace or generator and a separate body of refractory material to a state of incandesence, charging the generator with carbonaceou's'material, forcing a blast of inert or non-oxidizing gas (such as hydrogen, nitrogen, &c.., but, by preference, hydrogen) thro-ugh the heated body of refractory material, and thence through'the bo of carbonaceous material, thereby evolving the-volatile constituents and carbonizin g the vsolid constituents thereof, passing the 'blast of non-oxidizing gas, together'witli the evolved products, through condensers and separators, delivering 'the evolved gas to a suitable holder,and froml time to time withdrawing from the generator the carbonized .'aterial, &e.'

- In the accompanying drawings, which illus- .A and B,

Serial No, 385,752. (No model.)

trate anapparatus adapted forme-distillation and carbonization of carbonaceous materia-l in accordance with my invention, Figure ll is a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus at the line a' of Fig. 2, and gig. 2 a transverse section at the line y y ot' ig. 1. r

For the practice of my invention I provide a furnace or generator 1, which is divided by a vertical partition 6 into two fuel-chambers provided with tire brick grates 2 2,

adapted to'sttpport charges of carbonaceous material, charging-hoppers 33a, and rakingdoors 4. An ash-pit is formed vbelow the grates and communicates bya passage 5n with a charnber C, which is lled with pieces of refractory material, as a checker-work of tirebrickA or the like, and is provided at top with an outlet 9, controlled by a valve' l0. A pipe 8 and. communicating branch pipe 8a are pro- .vided with the following connections,viz: a

pipe 15,.leading into the refractory-material chamber C and controlled by avalve a; a pipe 16, leading into the combustion-chamber A and controlledby a valve 16a; a pipe 17,

- leading into the ash-pit 5 and controlled by a `valve 17a; a pipe 18, leading into the combustion-chamber B and controlled bya valve 18a; a pipe 11, leading from anair-pump or pressure-blower and controlled by a 'Valve 11a; a hydrogen-supply pipe 12,1eadingfrom a source of supply of hydrogen or other non-oxidizing gas and controlled by avalve 12a; a nitrogensupply pipe 22, controlled by a valve 22a, and a water-supply pipe 23, controlled by a valve 23a. A steam-supply pipe 24, controlled by a valve 24a', communicateswith a pipe 19, leading into the top of the chamber C.

A condenser F, which is located adjacent. to the furnace l and is partially filled with water, is provided at top with a water-supply pipe 28, controlled by a valve 29 and having a spraying-nozzle 32 on its dischargeend within the condenser. Ages-outlet pipe leads from the top of the condenser to a gas-holder, and a water and tar outletpipe 26, controlled. by a valve 27, leads from the bottom of the condenser to a suitable `point of ldischarge. A di-p or seal pipe 3l,h'aving its' discharge end below thelevel of the water in the condenser,

roo

communicates bya pipe20, controlled by a Vvalve,20=, with the combustion-chamber B and by a pipe 21, .controlled by a valve 21, with t 1e ash-pit 5.

In the operation of an apparatus provided with the abovedescribed r equivalent means for the practice of my invention the hopper 3 and chamber A are charged with fuel, and the charge inthe chamber A having been ignited the outlet-valve .10 of the chamber C, thevalve 11 of the air-blast pipe valves 16u and 17 of the inlet-pipes 16 and 1 7 are opened.4 The blast of air entering the fuelchamber A is forced down through the fuel into the ash-pit 5, where the gaseous products are ignited and burned by the airblast entering 'through the pipe 17. -The heated prodiicts of combustion enter the chamber C through the passage a and pass upwardly through said chamber, heating the body of refractory material therein. When said refractory material has been heated at bottom to, say, from 2,500 to 3,600o and at tfp to about 400, the air-blast valves and the outlet-valve are closed, and (if it is desired to distill and carbonize coal) a charge of coal is dropped from the hopper 3*,which has been previouslycharged, upon the grate 2a of the chamber B. The valve 20 of the seal-pipe 31 is opened and the valves of the gas-supply pipe l2 and the pipe 15, leading into the chamber C, are opened. A blast of hydrogen or other non-oxidizing gas is then forced through the -pipe 15 into the chamber C, thence downward through the'hot refractory material therein'through the passage 5 into the ash-pit 5, and thence(i up through the charge of coal in the chamber B, heating-the char e, evolving 'the' gaseous, tai-ry, and other volatile products and coking the coal.

The 'hydrogen blast and evolved products from the charge pass through the pipe 31 downward into the water in the ycondenser F. The major part of the tar, ammonia, dac., remains in the Water; but thehydrogen-gas blast and the gases that are evolved from the coal escape upward, meeting a spray of water from the nozzle 32, by which they are further cooled and washed, and the gas is forced out through the pipe to the holder. When the volatileand tarry products have been driven @if from the charge of coal or other carbona ceous material and the hydrogen blast has reduced the temperature of the refractory materialin the chamber C to such a low degree that the blast -is-nolonger effective to evolve seal-pipe 31 is opened. A charge the volatile products, the hydrogen blast is shut oif and all other open valves are closed. The outlet-valve 10 and the air-blast valves are new opened and the apparatus reheated, as previously valve 10 Aare closed and the valve 2,0a of the of coalv is dropped upon the incandescent coal in the chamber B, the valve12a of the gas-blast pipe 12 and the valve 15 of 'the pipe 15 are opened, and the hydrogen-gas blast is forced down through the heated refractory material in the 11, and the vgases, and the nitrogen from described. .lVhen sufficiently heated, the air-blast valves and the outlet? chamber C into the ash-pit Sand up through the coal in the chamber B. The gases and volatile products pass into the condenser F, as before described. All valves,except the valve 21 of the seal-pipe 3l, are now closed and the valves 23 `of the pipe 23 and 18a of the pipe 1S areopened,- and a spray of water and steam is passed into 4the chamber B and down through the hot coke therein, cooling the same, into the ash-pit 5. The steam and generated gases pass through the passage 21 and seal pipe 3l into the condenser F, and the gases pass thence to the holder. All the valves are now closed and the coke is -rallied out at the doors 4.

When it is desired to decrease the production of tar and increase the production of gas and ammonia, the apparatus is reheated, as before, a fresh charge of coal is dropped from the hopper 3 upon the incandescent charge in the chamber A, and the valves 20 of the seal-pipe 31 and of the pipes 12, 15, 1 6, and 24; are opened. XA hydrogengas blast 1s passed through the pipe, 16 thence down through the fresh anduicandescent charge of coal into the ash-pit 5, a drogen-gas blast is passed throughthe pipe 15, and a steanrblast through the pipe 21intoy the chamber C. The gas and steam blasts pass together down through the hot refractory material in the chamber C and through the passage 5u into the ash-pit 5. These blasts mingling with the tar and gases that are evolved from the coal in chamber A, the tar and steam are decomposed intoccnstituent the coal and hot The gases hydrogen gases form ammonia.

pass up through the incandescent cokein-the chamber B, through the seal-pipe 31,into the condenser F, the ammonia being absorbed by the water and the other gases passing off 'to the holder.-

The apparatus may now be reheated, and if it is desired to stillfurtherincrease the production of ammonia then the valve 12 of the pipe 12 land the valves of the pipes 22,15,and 31 are opened. Ahydrogen blast andanitrogen blast enter the pipe 8 from the pipes 12 and 22', mingle together, and pass through the pipe 15 into the chamber C, thence down through the hot refractory material therein, through .the passage 5 into the ashpit 5, and

up through the incandescent coke in the chamber B. The hydrogen and nitrogen form am monia, which passes through the seal-pipe 3l into the condenser F, from which it,with the other residuals, may be drawn off by thc pipe 26.

y When it is; desired to employ gaseous fuel for heating the apparatus instead of carbona- TOO IZO

ceous fuel, the plu'g 6, which closes an open-lA ing in the partition-wall between the cham-V bers A and B', is removed, and the outlet-valve' 10, the valve of the air-blast pipe 11, the valve of the hydrogen-gas-blast pipe 12, and the valve of the ash-pit-connection pipe 17 are opened. ,Air and gas enter the pipe 8 and mn gling'together pass downward and through the pipe 17 into the ash-'pit 5, where they are ignited and burned'. The hot products of combustion pass through the passage 5a and up through the chamber C, heating the refractory material therein. All the valvesare now closed and thel valve 20a of 'the seal-pipe 31 is opened, coal is dropped from the hoppers -3 3a upon the incandescent charges vin the chambersA and B,

A blast of hydrogen gas is forced into the chamber C, down through the hot refractory material therein, through the opening-5a into the ashpit 5, andthence up through the coal in the chambers A arid B, eliminating off the volatile products from the coalthrough the seal-ppe 3l into the condenser F. The gas passes thence to the'holder and the apparatus may be vreheated, as before described. If preferred, oil fuel may be forced in with the air-blast and burned to heat the `apparatusinstead of gas. Y

The apparatus herein exemplilied .as employed in the practice of my invention is not claimed as of my present invention, as the same will constitute the subject-matter of a separate application to be filed in due time.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatentl. The improvement in the process of distillation of carbonaceous material, which consists in blasting carbonaceous material with air, heating a charge ofcarbonaceous material and a 'body of refractory material to a state of incandescence, supplying a fresh charge of carbonaceous material to the rst charge, which has been 'heated to an .incandescent sta te, forcing a non-oxidizing gas first through the body of incandescent refractory material, then through the combined charge of carbonaceous material, leading ofI" the volatile constituents of the carbouaceous material to a condenser, and cooling and washing the solid l and the valve of the` hydrogen-gas blast 12 is opened.

and driving carbonaceous material to the first charge,

which has. been heated to au incandescent state, forcing a non-oxidizing gas, together with the evolved gaseous and tarry products of the fresh'A charge, through the incandescent part of the combined charge, forcing a nonoxidizing gas and steam through the h ot refractory material and mingling them Wlth the gaseous and tarry products to decompose the steam and tar for the formation of gas and to form ammonia from hydrogen gas and nitrogen, and passing the vresultant products through another body of carbonaceous material, substantially as set forth.

3. 4The improvement in the process of distillation of carbonaceous material, which consists in heatinga body of carbonaceous matel rial by the combustion of fuel with air, said fuel being in close contact to said carbonaceous material, but without the passage of air or the products'of combustion through the said'carbonaceous material, heatingabody of refractory material by the passage of the hot products of combustion through the same and thereafter passing blasts of hydrogen, nitrogen, and steam through the hot refractory material, and thence through thecarbonaceous material to evolve the volatile constituents for the formation of coke, tar, gas, ammonia, dro., substantially as set forth.

l BENJAMIN BRAZELLE. Witnesses:

SIM. TJ PRICE, CHRISTIAN F. SCHNEIDER. 

